Batteries are widely used in portable electronic devices such as personal digital assistants (PDAs) and cellphones. A battery is generally removably mounted in a receptacle of a housing of an electronic device. The receptacle is generally covered by a battery cover. When the battery is damaged or dead or needs to be recharged, the cover is removed from the housing, whereupon the battery can be taken out and later replaced.
A fixing mechanism is generally employed in a conventional battery cover, to engage with a housing of the portable electronic device. For example, a battery cover of an Alcatel® OT310 cellphone comprises a fixing mechanism. The fixing mechanism comprises a pair of hooks arranged at a lower end of the battery cover, and a locking pin arranged at an upper end of the battery cover. Correspondingly, a pair of slots is defined at a lower end of a back side of the housing, and a locking hole is defined at an upper end of the back side. In assembly, the hooks are inserted into the corresponding slots. Then, the battery cover is pressed downwardly such that the locking pins of the battery cover are inserted into the corresponding locking holes of the housing. The battery cover is thus assembled to the housing of the cellphone. The battery cover is simple in structure, and the engagement between the battery cover and the housing of the cellphone is secure. However, during disassembly of the cover from the housing of the cellphone, the battery cover is liable to be damaged because great force has to be exerted on the battery cover to detach the battery cover from the housing. As a result, it can be inconvenient for a user to change a battery.
Referring to FIG. 1, this shows another fixing mechanism, which is used to fix a battery 104′ onto a back side of a cellphone housing 102′. The fixing mechanism includes a hook 106′, a spring 108′, and a slot 112′. The hook 106′ includes an operating portion 114′, an accepting portion 116′, and a protrusion 110′. The hook 106′ is movably assembled to the back side of the cellphone housing 102′. The spring 108′ is disposed around the accepting portion 116′, and lies between the cellphone housing 102′ and the hook 106′. The slot 112′ is defined in the battery 104′. The protrusion 110′ is located in the slot 112′ to fix the battery 104′. When the battery 104′ needs to be installed into the cellphone housing 102′, the battery 104′ is pressed into the cellphone housing 102′. The hook 106′ is caused to move lengthwise in a first direction along the cellphone housing 102′, and the spring 108′ is compressed. Eventually, the hook 106′ reaches the slot 112′. The spring 108′ rebounds, and the hook 106′ moves lengthwise in an opposite second direction along the cellphone housing 102′. Thus the protrusion 110′ snappingly engages in the slot 112′, and the battery 104′ is firmly fixed in the cellphone housing 102′. When the battery 104′ needs to released from the cellphone housing 102′, the operating portion 114′ is pressed in the first direction. Then the spring 108′ is compressed, and the hook 106′ disengages from the slot 112′. The battery 104′ can then be readily released. However, the fixing mechanism uses up extra space in the cellphone housing 102′. The needed extra space may result in the cellphone being unduly large.
What is needed, therefore, is a new battery cover fixing mechanism for a portable electronic device which makes it convenient for a user to detach a battery cover from a housing of the portable electronic device, and which occupies minimal space of the housing of the portable electronic device.